Keratotic plugs, such as blackheads or open comedones, are known to form in the pores of human skin from the keratinization of dead epidermal cells combined with dust and sebaceous secretions. Such keratotic plugs are commonly found on the face and are generally considered to be aesthetically displeasing. Unfortunately, facial cleansers and makeup removers, which do not use physical pulling force to remove keratotic plugs, are not well-suited to eliminate such skin ailments.
Deep cleansing pore strips with adhesive on one side and a backing on the other are known. Although these strips allow for the removal of keratotic plugs by peeling the strip from the skin, their fixed size and shape make it difficult for many consumers to apply the strips to certain areas of the face. For example, the presence of a backing layer may make it difficult for a consumer to apply the strip to the side or crease of the nose. Moreover, the adhesive layer sometimes detaches from the backing when peeled from the skin, which decreases the effectiveness of the product.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,277, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses direct application of liquid compositions to remove keratotic plugs. The compositions disclosed therein comprise a resin functionalized with salt-forming groups. Upon application to the skin, the resin is allowed to dry to a film, which is then removed along with any keratotic plugs that adhere to the resin. Although such compositions are theoretically more convenient than the above mentioned pore strips, they unfortunately suffer from low viscosities due at least in-part to the inclusion of salt-forming groups. The compositions may therefore drip during application, making them difficult to apply to particular areas of the skin. The patent teaches that “pack preparations, which are applied to the skin and peeled off after dried, and which generally contain a nonionic polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl pyrrolidone as a major component of a film forming agent, are still not sufficiently effective for removing dirt from the skin pores and especially for removing keratotic plugs.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,493, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses an acne extraction patch coated with a polymer solution comprising 0.5% to 5% polyvinyl alcohol, 1% to 20% polyvinyl pyrrolidone, and an excipient. The polymer solution is applied to the acne patch, which is moistened with water and applied to the face or nose. The polymer solution is not applied directly to the skin in the absence of the acne patch.
The foregoing discussion is presented solely to provide a better understanding of the nature of the problem confronting the art and should not be construed in any way as an admission as to prior art nor should the citation of any reference herein be construed as an admission that such reference constitutes “prior art” to the instant application.